Year round up for parish

Clearly, the wettest year on record which has severely hit the wildlife of the parish. Butterfly numbers were worryingly low and I expect it to take 2 good years to get the numbers up to average. Also, dragon and damselfly numbers low and in all 237 species of moth trapped within the 12 months. None in good numbers. Again, take a good year or two to repair the damage. Bird wise, 79 species recorded within the parish and, yet again, nothing new for the year. Parish total still on 99, so 78.25% of the bird species found this year.
Highlights. Photo 1; jersey tiger on 17th August
Photo 2; siskin.
Photo 3: mute swan (only 3rd parish record)
Photo 4; garden nuthatch.
Photo 5; green brindled crescent
Photo 6; brimstone butterfly
Photo 7; herald moth
Photo 8; red kite.
Photo 9; spotted flycatcher
Photo 10; regular hawkmoths.
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Last village wander of 2012

A wet and breezy wander home from Stortford via Cradle End, Green Street, Millfield Lane, Millennium Wood and Hoecroft Lane. Exceptionally muddy with only a few birds observed. Flock of 20+ goldfinches in Green Street, (photo) whilst a bullfinch and Jay added colour in Cradle End. 85+ corvids near the polo fields and a sparrowhawk over were highlights. However, birds not seen were more significant. 1 fieldfare, no redwing and no woodpeckers was very unusual for this time of the year. Need to keep an eye open for esp. green woodpeckers as they appear to have left the parish. Haven't seen or heard one for a fortnight or so, which is worrying for such a bird. It has no migratory hard wiring at all, so very puzzling.
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Couple of village wanders

A short walk up to Hadham Hall lagoons yesterday. Very little about. 9 tufted duck, 2 coots and a pair of mallards on the water was the best on offer whilst 2 lesser redpolls, 10+ siskins and 30+ goldfinches were feeding on thistles near Church End Farm. Photo of the path leading to the church, known as Nut Walk.
This morning the wind had died down but a drop in temperature was noted. A common buzzard (photo) was seen over Queer Wood and a meadow pipit was firstly heard and then seen (last photo.) Other birds were jays, lesser black backed gulls and red legged partridge.
Don't think I have ever known Hadham to be so birdless. Very few fieldfares and no redwings.
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Full moon

A super moon lit the whole village last night. A photo here taken from the garden using a 300mm lens.
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Herts trip

An early start (6am) saw the 3 of us (myself, Graeme and his colleague Steve) heading across county for a day's birding. First stop, after the essential coffee break near Hemel Hempstead, was Wilstone Reservoir, one of 4 stands of water that make up Tring Reservoir complex. A bitter wind, mist and freezing temperatures greeted our arrival. We headed to the hide, spotting coot and pochard in the gloom. From the hide mute swans, shoveler, gadwall, teal etc were seen but the light was too poor for photos. We returned to the car and headed to Startops, Marsworth and then Tringford Reservoirs. Little was added here apart from pied and grey wagtail. We then checked out the yews in the local cemetery where we heard goldcrest and saw skylark and mistle thrush. Over the road we checked the rest of Wilstone, getting great spotted woodpecker and heard treecreeper. (Photo 1 shows an elusive treecreeper, snapped in Much Hadham last Sunday) After this we headed off to Rickmansworth and Stockers Lake. Both the temp and light had improved, if only slightly. Here finches such as siskins were seen as well as calling ring necked parakeets (photo 2 courtesy of Graeme.) Around the back of the lake 12 red crested pochards were found (photo 3) and over 7 goldeneye (photo 4.) We returned to the car, checking Inns Lake for reported goosander, but none were seen. Along the M25, via another coffee break to Tyttenhanger. En route we had several red kites and 2 golden plover over the motorway. The sky was darkening as we watched goldcrest, greenfinch, great black backed gull and buzzard around the main lake. No tree sparrows were noted before another day tick, a green woodpecker. Then, in persistent rain we headed off to Hertford, firstly checking for waxwing in the town and then nearby Bramfield village for hawfinch. Missed on both!! However, we had great close ups of a female sparrowhawk, as a young girl wandered through the churchyard with it on her gauntleted hand. Excellent to see.
We were back in Stortford by 4.30, 165 Hertfordshire miles and 60 bird species. A super day even if we missed out on some good birds. Last 2 photos, wigeon at Tring and black headed gulls on ice at Stockers.
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Waxwing

After a brief wait of 5 minutes parked in a quiet estate in Hertford I was rewarded with great views of at least 6 waxwings. There looks to be a fair supply of berries so I anticipate they will remain for a few days yet. This bird increases my year list to 185 species. Still several to get this winter (goosander, brambling, corn bunting, water pipit etc) Maybe my Herts birding trip next Wednesday, with fellow birder, Graeme, will add to this list, but suspect 200 is too far away. However, amazingly, still haven't seen a marsh tit this year! So, 190+ a possibility!
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Allbury wander

A snowy and cold walk over the A120 to Albury and back. Very little bird movement apart from a large 75+ flock of goldfinches. Plenty of corvids on the ground, 2 common gulls and 4 coot on Albury pond. Reasonable numbers of fieldfare, photo 1 but few redwings. Other photos of a lone oak and the back garden yesterday at 6.30a.m.
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Amwell a.m.

A pleasant wander on a foggy morning around Amwell NR. Not too much on offer that was out of the ordinary, but 100+ siskins with a few lesser redpolls were good to watch. (Photos 1,2 and 3) a pheasant, magpie and water rail were at the viewing point, but the highlight was a passing through chiffchaff. Too fast for a photo. On the water all the regulars: mute swan, tufties, coot, g c grebe, gadwall, teal, mallard, shoveler, pochard, cormorant and several goldeneye, including this flyover drake. Other photos, general views and a feeding goldfinch that was mixing with the siskins.
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Barn Owl pellets

Quick wander to find some barn owl pellets for a school session this coming Wednesday. Found several under the regular roost. Both owls were visible in their hole; photo 1 a distant shot. A confiding robin and 8 male tufted duck on the lagoon. 10+ black headed gulls and some mallards on the frozen moat at Hadham Hall.
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